EU Health Commissioner Borg to EuroFora on Obama's Marihuana - Tobacco comparison statement

*Strasbourg/EU Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/- ChristianDemocrat/EPP European Health Commissioner Tonio Borg, and Socialist MEP Linda McAvan, EU Parliament's Rapporteur on Tobacco, might naturally have slightly Differend ways to react on U.S. President Obama's famous controversial statement about the comparative effects of Smoking .. Marihuana or Tobacco, on Human Health, as it results from their Replies to a topical "EuroFora" Question, but, on the contrary, they are firmly United together on their common and crystal-clear denonciation of Cigaret Smoking habits' dangerosity, which was shared Today by a large Majority of MEPs in a relevant Plenary's Vote on a series of concrete Measures

--------------------------------------

 - "A Mediatic Question   : What do you think about a recent Statement from U.S. President in fact claiming that Smoking Tobacco might be as Dangerous as Smoking ...Marihuana ?", "EuroFora" asked the EU Health Commissioner and EU Parliament's Rapporteur on Tobacco and Human Health.

 - "The President of the Unites States of America (i.e. Barack Obama); hopefully, not Europe yet", "Eurofora" pointed out with a smile, carefully, given also the current uncertainties of the forthcoming EU Elections, due to influence more or less all EU's Top Jobs' distribution, between May and November 2014, according also to various Political Party's choices, (so that nobody could exclude a priori that something similar might happen, perhaps in the Future, in Europe, as it already occured back on 2012 in the USA when, at the same time with Obama's re-election, Marihuana was legalized in 2 Federated States : Colorado and Washington, for the 1st time in the American and World's History)...

Notoriously, Obama is on record for saying, in a "New Yorker" Interview, that, while he believes marijuana is "not very healthy," the drug isN't as harmful as some insist : - “..., I Smoked Pot as a kid, and I view it as a bad habit and a vice, Not very Different from the Cigarettes that I Smoked as a young person up through a big chunk of my Adult life"....
------------------

 - "Of course, one could have Differend Views, on whether Marihuana is more Dangerous than Tobacco, etc", reacted immediately Smiling, even if with diplomatic reserve, the ChristianDemocrat/EPP former Prime Minister, speaking as the competent EU Health Commissioner on such matters of compared dangerosity of various substances...

 - "I think that (US) President Obama is Right", concluded on the contrary UK Socialist MEP Linda McAvan,  who is EU Parliament's Rapporteur on the special Tobacco issue...

  - Naturally, this goes "If what he means is that Smoking is a very, very Dangerous thing to do", however she added as an obvious Condition, immediaetly afterwards, carefully.

------------------------------

     But, once this said, the two EU Politicians were Unanimous on Tobacco's dangers :

    - "It's not true that there is no Link between Tobacco and Cancer"? In fact, "there IS a Link between Tobacco and Cancer", stressed EU Health Commissioner Borg, in reply to "EuroFora"s Question. More widely,  "Our calculation is that 700.000 People, in the EU alone, Die prematurely because of Tobacco-related Diseases", he noted.

    + "And what I don't like ... is the Economic Argument, which was put forward by a few MEPs but also some Governments, that if we promote the Control of Tobacco, - which, after all, is an International Obligation of all EU Member States, under the WHO Convention on the Tobacco control- it would reduce the Number of Smokers in the EU, that would lead to "Loss of Jobs" (as they claimed). I almost sardonically replied ; - " Then, as a Health (EU) Commissioner, now, should I ...promote Smoking, in order to increase the Number of Jobs ?", he wondered.

    - In fact, "I think that we (EU) can do both : We can control Tobacco, and also maintain the current level of Jobs. Because, (EU) Member States whill have more Funds to invest in other kind or Programs,  raher than in Curing Smoking-related Diseases, if the Number of Smokers goes down, and the Individual  ex-Smokers, who gives up Smoking, would use the Money he saves in Other parts of the Economy, which can probably create even More Jobs than the Tobacco Industry can", Borg concluded.

    + "1 in 2 Smokers dies as a result of Smoking", stressed moreover EU Parliament's Rapporteur, MEP Linda MCAvan. "That doesn't count the Years of Health Life lost", he added. "Everybody who knows a Long-term Smoker, knows how they Suffer. You see, Emphysema and all these Diseases. That's a pretty Bad outcome for Smoking", she warned. "That's why we (EU) Need Tough Action".

     - "Those who oppose the (relevant EU) Directive, think that "EU goes too Fast on such kind of things", etc. "But, actually, we lagg behind", she found. F.ex. "the Americans, actually, have Fewer Smokers than we do i the EU. The Brazilians have even Fewer than all of us : Only 15% of Brazilians smoke", while "we (EU) are at 28%, and in some Countries the Number of Children smolers has gone up", f.ex. "40% in Greece, and that's the way it trends : As the Old Smokers Quit Smoking, the Compagnies look for  Gadgets, gimmicks, lipstiks packages, pink cigarettes, Flowers on Cigarettes, this kind of things, to Lure Children into Smoking. Not Adults : Children. And it's very Addictive", so that "People find it very Difficult to Quit" afterwards, she observed.  

    + In comparison with Alcohol, that a Collegue questioned, "We (EU) must combat Abuse in Alcohol", added later Commissioner Borg. F.ex the Industry would be well advised to add notes such as "Dont' Dring Alcohol when you are Pregnant", and/or "while Driving" a Car, etc.

     - "As I said, (previously to "EuroFora" : Comp. Supra), one in two People die from Smoking". But, "unless you are an Alcoholic, driking wine doesn't necessarily affect your Health. So; it's two Differend issues", estimated also Brittish MEP McAvan. "I don't have now the (exact) Figures, .... but I don't think that we (EU) are going to Ban People from Drinking in Restaurants.  while there is a Ban blocking People from Smoking in Restaurants",  she concluded.

---------------------

+ Last; but not least; don't forget :  

- Do you really have some Strong Views against/for ..Marihuana, given what happened recently at certain States of the USA  (Comp. Supra) ?

=> Currently, you can also DO something about it, simply by VOTING in the forthcoming, May 2014, EU Parliament's Elections, which, as it is well known, are going to influence, more or less, the choices of those who will be selected to EU's Top Jobs for the next 5 Years (2014-2019), for the First Time in Europe's History !...
-------------------------------------